Mississippi, the poorest state in the U.S. with the highest
percentage of Black people, a history of vicious racial terror and
concurrent Black resistance is the backdrop and context for the drama
captured in the collection of essays that is Jackson Rising:
The Struggle for Economic Democracy and Self-Determination in
Jackson Mississippi.
Undeterred by the
uncertainty, anxiety and fear brought about by the steady
deterioration of the neoliberal order over the last few years, the
response from Black activists of Jackson, Mississippi has been to
organize. Inspired by the rich history of struggle and resistance in
Mississippi and committed to the vision of the Jackson-Kush Plan,
these activists are building institutions rooted in community power
that combine politics and economic development into an alternative
model for change, while addressing real, immediate needs of the
people. The experiences and analyses in this compelling collection
reflect the creative power that is unleashed when political struggle
is grounded by a worldview freed from the inherent contradictions and
limitations of reform liberalism. As such, Jackson Rising is
ultimately a story about a process that is organized and controlled
by Black people who are openly declaring that their political project
is committed to decolonization and socialism. And within those broad
strategic and ethical objectives, Jackson Rising is also a
project unapologetically committed to self-determination for people
of African descent in Mississippi and the South.